ESPN the Mag: XG15 Previews
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.................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. MOTO .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. .................. CAUTION: .................. .................. .................. .................. BIKES CROSSING .................. .................. TO navigate THE Moto X SUPER X at SUMMER X, just FOLLOW CHAD REED’S LINE—IF you can. A TWO-TIME .................. AMA SUPERCROSS CHAMP, REED IS famed FOR HIS technical SKILL. That’S WHY WE asked HIM to SHOW .................. US THE INS AND OUTS OF ONE LAP AROUND THE HALF-MILE CIRCUIT at THE HOME Depot CENTER. .................. .................. 1 .................. 1 HEDLINE .................. the start 5 .................. Holeshot is crucial—you don’t want to .................. play catch-up on this track. The straight .................. 4 .................. is long, so start in second gear. Gate .................. position is important; snag a spot .................. 6 3 .................. between the middle and the far left for .................. a direct path to the turn. A lot of bikes .................. must squeeze into a small space at the .................. turn; get in front to avoid being pinched. .................. .................. .................. 2 the corners .................. This is where the race is won and lost. .................. Stay with your line. Shift your weight .................. 2 .................. forward, and extend your inside leg for .................. leverage. Avoid looking outside your .................. line because the bike follows your eyes. .................. If you brake coming into the corner, get ....................................................................................................................................................................... on the gas right away. Most riders lose ..................................................................................................................................................... time in the corners. I try to make it up. ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 ..................................................................................................................................................... rhythm sections ..................................................................................................................................................... mages ..................................................................................................................................................... I The second section is tricky. Hit the ..................................................................................................................................................... first single and down-side the wedge, ..................................................................................................................................................... SPN ..................................................................................................................................................... /E landing on the far side to pop out of ..................................................................................................................................................... AMM the next jump onto the tabletop. z Repeat. Experiment in practice to find HA /S the quickest way through, and keep 5 the whoops your options open, because the track Keep the bike straight on entry. Stay on AKKE B could deteriorate as the race goes on. the balls of your feet, eyes focused four NAME TO DROP PASSING JUDGMENT ARS or five whoops ahead. The idea is to LEVI SHERWOOD Freestyle moto X made its X debut in L skim the tops, so stay on the gas to keep Age 17 1999, quickly becoming one of the RIC 4 the triple jump momentum. Most like to sit as far back Hometown Palmerston North, New Zealand most popular events. In a 60-second Exit the corner in second gear to as possible, but I stay centered over SPoRt Freestyle Motocross run, riders throw as many as five or six hit the first jump with speed to carry the bike for control. No coincidence Winner: 2009 Red Bull X-Fighters, Mexico City tricks off the jumps. The event looks the distance—the idea is to get back that the whoops are my best obstacle. (youngest X-Fighters champ) sick, but even veterans have trouble to ground quickly. To save a second, CLAIm Ruler, a trick where bike and rider figuring out how the five judges score I’ll try to scrub it (see page 86). are fully extended vertically them. We asked Regis Harrington, 6 step on/step off A sharp turn follows, so land with who’s helped pick X Games winners Hit the jump and land on the tabletop in Few at the Red Bull X-Fighters event in the gas on, turn immediately and since 2001, for a judge’s-eye view. the middle. Here’s where it gets tricky: Mexico City expected much from Levi prepare to launch. Touch down both wheels at the same Sherwood, but in his first major comp StAY FReSH “Don’t throw the same time while giving a burst of throttle, (replacing the injured Twitch Stenberg), the trick twice in a run. There’s no set then bounce off the table as if you “Rubber Kid” wowed with his gymnasticlike deduction, but it affects the score,” were doing a bunny hop. Do that and style and won the whole enchilada. “I’m which is based on overall impression, you should be able to down-side the pretty uncoordinated in most sports,” says not points per trick. next jump. Sherwood, “but anything with wheels is a different story.” And thanks to that win, he SAVe tHe BeSt FoR LASt Guys take was invited to 2009 X. three runs in the elimination round, ............................................................................................................................ three in the second and three in the ............................................................................................................................ final. “Have a trick for the final that ............................................................................................................................ you haven’t shown yet, one that’ll wow ............................................................................................................................ the judges and the crowd.” BRIAN DEEGAN ON … SURPRISe AnD Awe “Innovation is huge.“ Travis Pastrana unveiled his first 360 JEREMY LUSK at X, which got him gold. “Recently, “After he won freestyle last year, Jeremy was fans complained the sport is just a backflip contest. This year, riders so excited. A few years earlier he was just a need variation—they have to dig out kid trying to learn to ride. We brought him into their best right-side-up tricks again.” the Mulisha and helped him. He took advantage YoU CAn Be ReCKLeSS—JUSt Don’t LooK It of everything we had to offer. He paid us back Harrington’s most challenging task is by winning. All day, every day, I think about him.” judging style: “There’s no compulsory EDITOR’SEditor’S NOTE:note: Jeremy Lusk (left) died Feb. 10 at the age of 24 after crashing during element in freestyle, but riders should a competition in Costa Rica. He was Deegan’s Metal Mulisha teammate. be in control of the bike and the flow.” E JORG MITTER/RED BULL PHOTOFILES; MILAN/RED BULL PHOTOFILES; JAKE KLINGENSMITH; GARTH TOP: FROM CLOCKWISE 92 ILLUSTRATION BY I LOVE DUST .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. SKATE .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. ON THE UP- .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. AND-UP .................................. .................................. .................................. .................................. AleX Perelson wAs 8 when he watched Tony Hawk .................................. STREET WATCH land skating’s first 900 at the 1999 X Games. Perelson still has the dollar bill Hawk autographed for him that three